Hawkfall's Angst - Living in Fear Challenge
by Esther Silvers
Summary: Hawkfall is deputy of ThunderClan, is taken hostage by ShadowClan along with several other ThunderClan cats. War is waging against ShadowClan and ThunderClan, getting worse by the second. Tension and violence grows, blood is spilled and StarClan and it's terms is nothing but a myth. But, somehow, something grows within Hawkfall. Hope.


**_ShadowClan Camp Clearing_**

Hawkfall suppressed the urge to scratch Nighttalon's eyes out as the ShadowClan deputy kept raining powerful blows to Elmpelt, a weakened, brutally beaten ThunderClan warrior. Elmpelt choked out cries of pain. _Scoundrel!_ thought Hawkfall. _When this is all over, I swear I'll kill you, you honorless piece of fox-dung!_ _All Elmpelt did was try to feed himself,_ added Hawkfall pitifully.

Hawkfall knew these mental curses were no use. If he said them out loud, he would get a beating, no doubt. If he tried to stop Nighttalon, he would be killed, for sure. Hawkfall tried to turn away at the gruesome sight, but his guards, Addertooth and Ratscar, forced him to watch. "Keep watching, deputy of ThunderClan," mumured Addertooth with torturous glee. "Watch as your beloved warriors get beaten at the might of ShadowClan power."

Hawkfall was about to give the brown-furred warrior a piece of his mind before Nighttalon had interrupted him, speaking to Elmpelt. "Now you know," snarled the dark warrior, between breaths. "That stealing in ShadowClan is the _worst_ decision you mouse-brains could make."

 _Except for trying to escape,_ thought Hawkfall. _That's your one way ticket to your grave._ It seemed Nighttalon expected some kind of response from Elmpelt, but didn't receive any. Frustrated, Nighttalon started to do the same process as before. But this time, Elmpelt didn't cry out or move at the hits. He lay perfectly still, his body slick with blood. _He's dead,_ thought Hawkfall, horror washing over him. _His body couldn't take any more and..._ Hawkfall couldn't think anymore. "Enough," called out a voice filled with authority. Hawkfall looked up to see Moonstar, a silver, tinged blue, sleek she-cat with icy blue eyes staring at the scene from ShadowClan's Highrock. Before this entire battle, Hawkfall had actually considered her to be beautiful. But now, all he saw was a power-hungry, cold killer.

"Jawfang. Lionroar. Go leave this creature's filthy body outside of camp to rot. Disgusting piece of dung. Nightfang, you-"

"You fox-hearted fleabag!"

Hawkfall didn't realize that it was he who had yelled out the insult. His insides were burning with rage, anger swirling inside like a tsunami. How dare that damned she-cat call Elmpelt's death nothing more than dung! Everything and everyone became silent, staring at Hawkfall. Hawkfall met Moonstar's steely gaze with his own penetrating one. "Elmpelt was a great warrior, better than any of you fox-hearts will ever hope be," snarled Hawkfall. Moonstar leaped down from her Highrock, staring at Hawkfall the entire time. Soon, she was inches from his muzzle, her chilling mew in his ear.

"Say that one more time," she whispered. "And I'll be bathing myself in your blood."

Hawkfall felt his neck fur rise at the chilling sentence. He began to draw his lips back into a snarl, before Addertooth and Ratscar pushed him back from the ShadowClan leader and shoved him back into his prison. He watched as his warriors were also pushed into the prison. As he lay, he began to think.

Elmpelt's death deserved to be avenged. But how? How is that possible when ThunderClan's numbers were outnumbered and that more cats were dying each day in battle? Hawkfall felt so hopeless. How could he avenge all these deaths that were happening in front of him? For moons now, all he could think about was the war that is taking place at both borders. All he could think about were ThunderClan cats, sacrificing themselves in this bloodbath, all for nothing. Hawkfall didn't even know why they were fighting.

 _Because they want to get you back,_ whispered a tiny voice at the back of his head. _You got captured, forcing the ThunderClan cats to fight even harder, so hard that they get destroyed._ Hawkfall felt despair cover his senses as he looked out at his fellow warriors. They were so hollow, so out of hope. Even if they do get free, they'll be completely changed.

 _In the end,_ he thought. _They'll realize we're not worth fighting for._

 ** _The End_**


End file.
